Washington - The fate of XM Satellite Radio's multi-billion merger with rival Sirius has come down to two votes at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Wall Street Journal reported. [more..]

New York - Following similar actions taken against other broadband providers, New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has sent a letter to Comcast, the nation's second-largest broadband firm, threatening to take legal action if it does not agree to take specific steps to block child pornography. [more..]

Santa Clara, Calif. - A consortium of consumer electronics and wireless technology developers -- including Sony and Samsung -- announced on Wednesday that they have partnered to jointly develop a new industry standard for wireless high-definition video. [more..]

Washington - The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has closed public comments on a proposal from the Hollywood studios that would give content owners control over the recording capabilities of devices like digital video recorders, with service providers like AT&T and DirecTV weighing in in favor of the proposal, while groups including the Consumer Electronics Association, Public Knowledge and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) opposed it. [more..]

New York - New York Gov. David A. Paterson has signed a new law that forces retailers to provide clearer video game ratings and game console makers to include parental lockout features by 2010, while civil liberties groups have said they plan to mount a legal challenge. [more..]

San Francisco - Time Warner's Warner Bros. said Wednesday that it has taken action against a number of websites that have posted "camcorded" copies of its new Batman movie "The Dark Knight" online, CNET News.com reported. [more..]

New York - The New York Times Co. announced on Wednesday that in June its total company revenues from operations decreased 10% compared with the same month a year ago. [more..]

Redwood City, Calif. - Video game publisher Electronic Arts said on Wednesday that it has signed on with Hollywood talent agency UTA, in a bid to help turn more of its game properties into film and TV series. [more..]

Mountain View, Calif. - Following eight months of testing, Google said on Wednesday that it has officially launched its rival to Wikipedia, known as Knol. [more..]

San Francisco - Zynga, a developer of social media games, announced on Wednesday that it has raised $29 million in new financing, and acquired YoVille, a virtual world game on social networks. [more..]

San Diego - Verimatrix, a developer of anti-piracy technology for pay-TV networks, announced on Wednesday that it has closed its third and largest-to-date round of financing, led by Goldman Sachs. [more..]

New York - Meetup, an online social network that helps grassroots groups organize and create real-world events, announced on Wednesday that it has received an investment from Union Square Ventures. [more..]

Philadelphia - TicketLeap.com, an online ticket exchange for smaller events and grassroots activities, has closed on a $2 million first round of venture capital financing, led by MentorTech Ventures and Ben Franklin Technology Partners. [more..]

Trip Hawkins, CEO, Digital Chocolate and founder of Electronic Arts, said that the iPhone and new touch-screen displays have made the mobile medium into one of the most interesting areas for the gaming industry today. [more..]

Washington - The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the video game industry trade group that organized the annual E3 convention that was recently downsized and received some negative reviews this year, has confirmed that it will hold the event in 2009 and said changes may be made to suit its members, GameSpot reports. [more..]

New York - Time Warner's AOL on Wednesday announced the release of Tour Tracker, a free Web service that lets users track upcoming concerts in their area, and offers discounts on tickets from Ticketmaster through a partnership with American Express. [more..]

Tokyo - Nintendo has partnered with Fujifilm to allow Japanese owners of its Wii video game console to order prints via the Internet of photos uploaded through memory cards to the console. [more..]

San Diego - Microsoft said on Wednesday that it has partnered with Safran Digital Group to produce a series of exclusive short comedy films from noted horror directors for distribution on its Xbox Live service in the fall. [more..]

Seattle - RealNetworks, which in May said it would spin-off its casual games unit into a separate business, on Wednesday announced a number of new partnerships that will expand its casual games into retail stores, and onto new platforms like the Nintendo Wii. [more..]

Silver Spring, Md. - Worldspace, a provider of satellite radio services in foreign markets, said that it has changed its name to 1worldspace. [more..]

New York - Frank N. Magid Associates, a research-based strategic consulting firm, announced that it has promoted Mike Vorhaus to President of Magid Advisors. [more..]